One #4
Which was great and everything, but I had more important questions for him. “May I ask what makes any of you want to relocate to the middle of nowhere?”
All three men suddenly went quiet.
“I heard from a member of my staff that you were from New York,” I said to Justin, “is that right?”
“Yes,” he rasped.
Something bad had happened.
“I’m sorry.” I took a step back. “I don’t mean to pry.”
“No, it’s—” Justin cleared his throat. “Six months ago now, we lost three members of our pack to three different regrettable, avoidable accidents.”
He explained to me that a college-aged student had died from a drug overdose, a young girl had been kidnapped and found murdered, and a toddler had been struck by a car.
“I’m so sorry,” I said to them.
“Had we all been together, none of it would ever have happened,” Justin told me.
“I agree that the young children, in a smaller community, all of you in one place—you probably wouldn’t have lost them. But kids still gotta go off to college, and from here, all your little kids are gonna have to drive to Lewisburg for school.”
“Yes, we’re aware. The land is basically for whoever would like to live close, and also for our hunts. But I suspect some people in the pack will prefer to live in town.”
I squinted at him.
“There is a town. We’ve all driven through it and seen the auto repair shop and the county clerk’s office. They issue fishing, hunting, and marriage licenses.”
“Yeah, in that order and all in the same building.” I chuckled. “Our library here on the second floor has more books.”
“You have a library?” Fletcher asked me.
“Yeah. There are stairs around back by the hearth that go up. The library is on the second floor and wraps around so you can look down into the courtyard, and on the third is the movie theater where we play different kinds of movies throughout the year. You should bring your kids on Saturday nights—that’s when we show Disney and Pixar and all that.
We also do some Marvel, just not anything sad. ”
“Merritt,” Justin said, closing the distance between us, “we would be honored if you would consider joining our pack, and would like, as I said earlier, to have your permission to hunt, only at night, on your land.”
I smiled at him. “Could you all follow me, please?”
“Of course,” Justin said. “Lead on.”
Walking quickly, I led them down to the end of my circular cobblestone drive, then stepped off, heading toward six slate steps that descended and became a path around an enormous bristlecone pine.
The path turned to cobblestones five feet above a stream that filled the small pond behind The Bower and then flowed on, over rocks and beyond.
It was a beautiful little area, the other side a wall of limestone that sparkled when the sunlight hit it.
I’d dug the pond myself, and it was like a tiny quarry that kids were allowed to swim in during the summer.
Now, teenagers walked down there and sat for hours with their beloved, staring at the water, holding hands on one of the four marble benches.
This time of the morning, though, the blinds in the back of the restaurant weren’t open yet, there was still some fog drifting over the water, and it looked like a large fairy pool.
“This is beautiful,” Fletcher whispered, like it was a sacred space.
“Really, Merritt,” Justin said with a sigh, “your place is… You made this all yourself, you said?” He was trying to put something together, but there was no way for him to make the true jump that was needed.
“My family,” I corrected, and saw his golden brows furrow. “Over years.”
“I don’t suppose you’d ever want to sell it.” Reggie smiled sheepishly.
“No, but I thank you for your interest,” I told him. “And gentlemen, I don’t allow any hunting on my land, at all. Ever. So unfortunately, it won’t work to have you, or anyone from your pack, crossing for that purpose, and honestly, you wouldn’t make it far.”
“Is that a threat?” Reggie asked, sounding nervous suddenly. And I understood, I did. He was there with the son of his alpha on business, but also to protect him. Tangling with me wasn’t something he wanted to do, but if he was pushed, he would. I appreciated his sense of duty.
“No, sir.” I kept my voice steady, calm. “It’s a fact.”
“I don’t understand.”
“If you and your pack just want to run across my land, that’s not an issue. When your intentions turn to blood, the land itself will respond.”
They were all staring at me, uncertain, I was sure, of my sanity.
I shrugged. “You’ll see if you try.”
“Why did you walk us down here?” Reggie asked.
“So you could see that there are many perks to being my friend, and I’d like us to be friends, as long as our intentions aren’t at odds.”
“I would very much like to be your friend.” Justin quickly offered me his hand.
I smiled at him and took his hand in mine.
Beside him, Reggie groaned. “We,” he said, emphasizing the word. “Our pack, the Swann Pack, would like to be your friends as well, Merritt.”
I was happy to hear it. So much better to start off on the right foot.